Yokihi/Princess Yang Kwei Fei (Film 1955)

Yokihi (English Title: Princess Yang Kwei Fei) is a 1955 Japanese historical film directed by Kenji Mizoguchi. Audio in Japanese with English subtitles.

In eighth century China, the Emperor is grieving over the death of his wife. The Yang family wants to provide the Emperor with a consort so that they may consolidate their influence over the court. General An Lushan finds a distant relative working in their kitchen whom they groom to present to the Emperor. The Emperor falls in love with her and she becomes the Princess Yang Kwei-fei. The Yangs are then appointed important ministers, though An Lushan is not given the court position he covets. The ministers misuse their power so much that there is a popular revolt against the Yangs, fueled by An Lushan.

The film is based on the story of Yang Yuhuan, often known as Yang Guifei (with Guifei being the highest rank for imperial consorts during her time), and known briefly by the Taoist nun name Taizhen. She was the beloved consort of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang during his later years. She is known as one of the Four Beauties of ancient China. In Japanese, she is known as Yōkihi.

Cast & Characters:
Machiko Kyō as Princess Yang Kwei Fei
Masayuki Mori as Emperor Xuan Zong
Sō Yamamura as An Lushan
Eitarō Ozawa as Yang Kuo-chung
Isao Yamagata as Yang Hsien
Yōko Minamida as Hung-tao
Noboru Kiritachi as Cuihua
Chieko Murata as Lu-hua
Michiko Ai as Honghua
Eitarō Shindō as Kao Li-hsi
Tatsuya Ishiguro as Li Lin-fu
Bontarō Miake as Chen-Hsuan-li
Haruko Sugimura as Princess Yen-chun
Osamu Maruyama as Li Kuei-nien
Sachiko Murase as Chengfei
Kinzō Shin as chamberlain